A Sailor in Seabrook, New Hampshire for Weathervane Wednesday

 This weathervane was photographed in Seabrook, New Hampshire

We were traveling on Interstate 95 when we stopped at a rest area in Seabrook and spied this interesting weathervane above the visitor's center. This weathervane is a three dimensional sailor complete with a sextant and bell bottomed trousers.   I photographed the weathervane from outside, and then I was delighted to see this display inside the visitor's center!  

The information board reads "The New Hampshire Department of Transportation and the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts chose William Barth Osmundsen's proposal for a weathervane, entitled, Charting the Course for Seacoast New Hampshire. In his proposal, Osmundsn wrote: "As motorists from the Eastern Seaboard pull into the coastal Seabrook Visitor Center, they will be reminded that New Hampshire has a presence as a maritime state. Although we have a short coastline, the area has been a hub of shipbuilding, lobstering, and pleasure boating.  My 'Ancient Mariner' fixes a star point with the aid of this early sextant."  While the sextant is specif to the sea, it suggests the idea of helping all travelers, on both land and sea, reach their desired destinations."

For the truly curious:

Another blog post about a nearby set of weathervanes off Route 95 on the New Hampshire Seacoast:  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/06/weathervane-wednesday-sun-moon-and.html  

Click here to see over 500 Weathervane Wednesday posts!

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/search/label/Weathervane%20Wednesday   

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To cite/link to this blog post: Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "A Sailor in Seabrook, New Hampshire for Weathervane Wednesday", Nutfield Genealogy, posted January 17, 2024, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2024/01/a-sailor-in-seabrook-new-hampshire-for.html: accessed [access date]). 

Bound Rock - One of New Hampshire's Historical Curiosities

BOUND ROCK

-------o--------

This rock, originally in the middle of Hampton

River, indicated the start of the boundary line

surveyed by Capt. Nicholas Shapley and marked

by him "AD 1657 - HB and SH" to determine the

line between Hampton and Salisbury.  HB meaning

"Hampton Bound" and SH Shapley's mark.

Lost for many decades due to the shifting of 

the river's mouth, the original course of the 

river, and the Bound Rock were rediscovered

 in 1937.  This historically important boulder,

still serving as the boundary marker, was

enclosed by the State of New Hampshire that

same year. 

This unassuming, overgrown tiny park might just be the smallest park in Seabrook, New Hampshire, and probably the smallest park in the entire state.  We stopped here to find the Bound Rock, read the sign, but couldn't find the famous rock even when we got out of the car and searched the park.  Behind all the overgrown grass we saw a concrete structure covered with a metal grill.  Even when we looked in we couldn't see the rock.   

Can you see the rock?

Back left corner of this tiny lot of land

Looking down this concrete structure, all we saw was seawater.

It was high tide, and two blocks from the beach.

What is the story behind this rock? Why was it preserved, and then hidden in such an odd way in this funny little forgotten park? 

The Bound Rock described above on the historical marker marked the BOUNDary of what was known to be New Hampshire in 1657.  You can see my blog post HERE from last fall which describes the Shapley Line, which started at the Bound Rock and ran west.  Over time this boundary has changed, but the Rock remained a historical oddity.  It was nominated as a National Historic Site in 1978. 

In 1965 the town of Hampton purchased this little lot of land squeezed between two beach cottages near Plymouth and Woodstock Streets, and moved the Bound Rock here.  It was set down inside the protective cement well in 1937.  Some time later in 1962 it was covered with the metal grill which now completely obscures the rock (unless you bring a strong flashlight and also visit at an extreme low tide).  

For the truly curious:

The Shapley Line Marker blog post: 

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-shapley-line-one-of-old-borders.html  

The Lane Library in Hampton has a page with many links to many stories about Bound Rock and it's strange history:

http://www.hampton.lib.nh.us/hampton/history/boundrock.htm   

Also see Peter Randall's book Hampton: A Century of Town and Beach, 1888 - 1988

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Bound Rock - One of New Hampshire's Historical Curiosities", Nutfield Genealogy, posted June 22, 2019, (  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2019/06/bound-rock-one-of-new-hampshires.html: accessed [access date]). 

Weathervane Wednesday ~ A Pretty Sailboat

I post another in a series of weather vane photographs every Wednesday.  This started with images of weathervanes from the Londonderry, New Hampshire area, but now I've found interesting weather vanes all across New England and across the globe.  Sometimes my weather vanes are whimsical, or historical, but all are interesting.  Often my readers tip me off to some very unique or unusual weathervanes, too!  If you know a great weather vane near you, let me know if you'd like to have it featured on this blog.

Today's weather vane was photographed in New Hampshire.

Do you know the location of weathervane post #391?  Scroll down to find the answer.

This three dimensional sailboat was photographed along Ocean Drive in Seabrook, New Hampshire.  This metal weathervane is complete with intricate sails, flag, rigging, and even a rudder. It is appropriate because this is a waterfront home, facing the Atlantic Ocean right on the coast.  There are fine views of boats and ships passing this beach, and of the Isles of Shoals just off shore. 

I photographed some other weathervanes on this same street on the same day I photographed this sailboat.  You can see that blog post at this link:

https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/11/weathervane-wednesday-two-mermaids-by.html  

Click here to see the entire collection of Weathervane Wednesday posts!

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Weathervane Wednesday ~ A Pretty Sailboat", Nutfield Genealogy, posted November 28, 2018, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/11/weathervane-wednesday-pretty-sailboat.html: accessed [access date]). 

Weathervane Wednesday ~ A Christian Church Symbol

I post another in a series of weather vane photographs every Wednesday.  This started with images of weathervanes from the Londonderry, New Hampshire area, but now I've found interesting weather vanes all across New England and across the globe.  Sometimes my weather vanes are whimsical, or historical, but all are interesting.  Often my readers tip me off to some very unique or unusual weathervanes, too!  If you know a great weather vane near you, let me know if you'd like to have it featured on this blog.

Today's weather vane was photographed in New Hampshire.

Do you know the location of weathervane post #388?  Scroll down to find the answer.

This little building is the Trinity United Church Parish House in Seabrook, New Hampshire, located on Lafayette Road, across from the Town Hall.  The small weathervane is difficult to see as you come around the rotary near the intersection of Main Street and Folly Mill Road.  This is a Methodist congregation, and the church building itself is nearby at 29 Main Street. 

The ichthys is a Greek symbol made by two arcs.  This was a secret symbol used by early Christians to designate a meeting point.  The Greek letters IXOYE inside the fish is the acronym formed by the first letter of five words Iesous (Jesus), Xristos (Christ), Theo (God), Yios (Son), and Sotare (Savior).  The word "ixoye" is also the ancient Greek word for fish, recalling Matthew 4:19 when Jesus called the fishermen to be his apostles by asking them to be fishers of men.

I have seen this symbol used many time, but this is the first ichthys weathervane I have seen.


Click here to see the entire collection of Weathervane Wednesday posts!

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Weathervane Wednesday ~  A Christian Church Symbol",  Nutfield Genealogy, posted November 7, 2018, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/11/weathervane-wednesday-christian-church.html: accessed [access date]). 

Weathervane Wednesday ~ A Golden Seagull

I post another in a series of weather vane photographs every Wednesday.  This started with images of weathervanes from the Londonderry, New Hampshire area, but now I've found interesting weather vanes all across New England and across the globe.  Sometimes my weather vanes are whimsical, or historical, but all are interesting.  Often my readers tip me off to some very unique or unusual weathervanes, too!  If you know a great weather vane near you, let me know if you'd like to have it featured on this blog.

Today's weather vane was photographed in New Hampshire.

Do you know the location of weathervane post #387?  Scroll down to find the answer.

This gilded seagull weathervane was photographed above the cupola of the Seabrook town hall at the intersection of Main Street and Lafayette road, in the middle of the rotary on US Route 1.  The town hall does not appear to be very old. in the 2013 Seabrook Town report I found a description on the inside cover of the August 16th ceremony when town gathered to  "witness the intallation of the new golden seagull weathervane created by Seabrook coppersmith, Don Felix.  The original weathervane was damaged beyond repair more than 3 years prior during a huge storm in February 2010."

Also in this document on page 21 as part of the Selectmen's report "In early 2010, due to a horrific wind storm, the Town Hall's seagull weathervane was knocked down.  This year, after much hard work by the weathervane selection committee, in August of 2013, with much fanfare, the weathervane was reinstalled at the town hall building... Thanks to the fire department, as well for their help during the installation of this weathervane."

As Seabrook is a coastal community, I think the seagull is a very appropriate choice for a weathervane.  This is a large gilded weathervane right in the middle of Route 1, so it is very visible to travelers and tourists.  It makes a great symbol for the town of Seabrook, and I noticed that it is featured on the home page of the town government website:  https://seabrooknh.info/ 


Click here to see the entire collection of Weathervane Wednesday posts!

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Weathervane Wednesday ~ A Golden Seagull", Nutfield Genealogy, posted October 31, 2018, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/10/weathervane-wednesday-golden-seagull.html: accessed [access date]). 

The Shapley Line - One of the old borders between New Hampshire and Massachusetts

Based on the 1640 southern boundary of

Bachiler’s farm, it was surveyed by Capt.

Nicholas Shapley in 1657, dividing the Province

Of New Hampshire from the Massachusetts Bay

Colony 1689 – 1741.  In 1662 three Quaker women,

Being banished from the territory, were freed

South of here by Constable Walter Barefoot.

Edward Gove, imprisoned in the Tower of

London for leading the rebellion against

Lt. Gov. Cranfield in 1683, lived nearby.

This roadside marker on the corner of Rt. 1 and Rocks Road in Seabrook, New Hampshire has always intrigued me because it mentions the BATCHELDER and GOVE families.  I’ve blogged about both families.  I’m a descendant of the founder of Hampton, New Hampshire Reverend Stephen Batchelder, and my god-father is a descendant of Edward Gove. You can read about the BATCHELDER family HERE (and HERE for all my BATCHELDER stories) , and you can read about Edward Gove HERE.

In The History of the Town of Hampton, New Hampshire, Volume 1, by Joseph Dow, on pages 135 – 136, is the story of the Shapley line.  This excerpt is from the New Hampshire Provincial Papers, Volume 1, page 231:

“The bounds between the two Townes menconed toward the sea is [are] to be upon a straight line beginning at the middle of the Hampton Rivers mouth and Runing upwards to a marked tree being and standing at the uppermost corner of the farm commonly called Mr. Bachiler’s farme – the sayd line to Runne upon a west north west point of the compasse nearest, and the said lyne being so Runne by both Townes & marked out according as Capt. Shapleigh hath now draune the plat, wee Agree upon consideration of all pleas, that the Towne of Salisbury shall have and enjoy thirty acres of marsh on the north side of the said line towards Hampton at the lower end of the said line to be layd out by both Townes and Adjoyning to the line; Also for the upper line into the woods, wee determine that the line shall runne from the marked tree before mentioned upon a west and by North line nearest according as Captaine Shapleigh hath given in the line of the treading of Meremack River, the which wee conclude to be the bounds between the said Townes unto their utmost extent towards Haverill; wee doe further declare that what marsh the Towne of Salisbury hath laid out to any of theire Inhabitants, that shall fall within the lyne above menconed towards Hampton, they shall enjoy and so much more shall make up the whole thirty acres, to be laid out belowe proprieties, if there to be found, or els above, Joyning to the line, and this wee give as our determination in the busines to us committed concerning the prmises.

Witnes our hands this 3d day of the five mo: 1657

John Appleton

Joseph Medcalf

Wm Bartholemew

Dan. Pearse”

At the time Joseph Dow published The History of The Town of Hampton in 1892, the bound rock [marking the middle of the Hampton River] and the Bachiler tree were still standing “all points are clearly identified to this day.”  [page 137].  Today these markers are both gone or moved.

I’m not sure which member of the Rev. Stephen Batchelder’s family is the “Mr. Bachiler” in the sign.  It could be the good Reverend himself.  I’m also not sure why they through in the story of the Quaker women and Edward Gove on this road sign, either, other than the fact that these incidents related to people who lived nearby.

Nicholas Shapley is often confused with Nicholas Shapleigh, Merchant and Magistrate of Maine.  Nicholas Shapley of Charlestown, Massachusetts was a surveyor.  There is no evidence he was related to the Shapleigh family of the Piscataqua Region.  He lived from 1605 to his death in Charlestown on 15 February 1663.  He left four children – Benjamin, Joseph, Nicholas and Ann AKA Sarah wife of John Fosdick.

On the other hand, Nicholas Shapleigh the magistrate was born in 1617 in Devonshire, England.  He was one of the wealthiest merchants in New England.  He was killed in 1682 when a mast fell off a vessel at the shipyard of John Diamond in Kittery.  The inventory of his estate includes two Irish indentured servants, and “4 Neagers 3 men one woman & one little Neager valued at 90 pound” [York Deeds Vol. V, Fol. 15 – 16].  You can read his will at this link (he had no children, he left his estate to the children of his sister Katherine and brother Alexander): https://www.mainegenealogy.net/maine_wills.asp?source=probatecourtvol8&testator=NicholasShapleigh   

My ancestor, Nathan Longfellow (1690 - 1731), who was the constable and tax collector for Hampton, New Hampshire.  He was arrested by the town of Salisbury, Massachusetts for attempting to collect tax money for Hampton from residents of Massachusetts (on the "other" side of the Shapley line). See this blog post for the Surname Saturday LONGFELLOW sketch which mentions this incident about the Shapley Line:  https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/11/surname-saturday-longfellow-of-newbury.html  

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "The Shapley Line - One of the old borders between New Hampshire and Massachusetts", Nutfield Genealogy, posted October 29, 2018, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-shapley-line-one-of-old-borders.html: accessed [access date]). 

Weathervane Wednesday ~ A Whale of a Weathervane!

I post another in a series of weather vane photographs every Wednesday.  This started with images of weathervanes from the Londonderry, New Hampshire area, but now I've found interesting weather vanes all across New England and across the globe.  Sometimes my weather vanes are whimsical, or historical, but all are interesting.  Often my readers tip me off to some very unique or unusual weathervanes, too!  If you know a great weather vane near you, let me know if you'd like to have it featured on this blog.

Today's weather vane was photographed in New Hampshire.

Do you know the location of weathervane post #386?  Scroll down to find the answer.

This two dimensional weathervane can be seen on the cupola above the Valero gas station on the corner of Ocean Boulevard and NH State Route 286 in Seabrook, New Hampshire.  The whale is a very appropriate choice for this location, just a few blocks from the beach and a short distance from the Blackwater River which forms Hampton Harbor.  From this parking lot you can see the sign for the Salisbury, Massachusetts town/state border.  Although this whale is small and you might miss it, the location has few trees and overhead wires.  The weathervane has a nice patina, and in the closeup view you can even see the features such as the whale's eye and mouth, as well as the tail.



Click here to see the entire collection of Weathervane Wednesday posts!

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Weathervane Wednesday ~ A Whale of a Weathervane!", Nutfield Genealogy, posted October 24, 2018, ( https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2018/10/weathervane-wednesday-whale-of.html: accessed [access date]).

New England’s “Gretna Green” – Why so many out of state marriages in Seabrook, New Hampshire?

Since 1754 Gretna Green has attained mythical status as a place for weddings.   Couples eloped to Gretna Green, on the border of Scotland to avoid the “reading of the banns”.  This tradition in England posted the names of the couples intending to marry for three Sundays prior to the wedding.  This was a legal notice so that anyone had time to object to the wedding.   The law did not pertain to Scotland, and so Gretna Green became a sort of Reno or Las Vegas for quick weddings.

I first became aware of Seabrook, New Hampshire’s wedding reputation as the New England Gretna Green when an elderly auntie whispered to me “They were married in Seabrook, you know” with a knowing nod.  No, I didn’t know what that meant, so I had to find out!

Sneaking over the border to avoid parental disapproval has a long history.  In Massachusetts couples could sneak over many borders – New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Connecticut or Rhode Island.  Somehow the tiny town of Seabrook, on the Massachusetts border, became a magnet for elopements.  This tradition goes way back to the 1700s at least.  I found this passage in A Porter Pedigree: Being an Account of the Ancestry and Descendants of Samuel and Martha (Perley) Pporter of Chester, N.H., who were descendants of John Porter of Salem, Mass., and of Allan Perley, of Ipswich, Mass., 1907, page 55  (available to read or download online at archive.org)  “Samuel Perley… was pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Seabrook, N. H., and his parish was said to be a sort of Gretna Green for all the discontented lovers in Massachusetts.”   He was pastor there from 1765 until 1775 when he removed to Cockermouth, now known as Groton, New Hampshire to be the minister to a new church.

An interesting place to look up some of these early Seabrook marriages is in “Marriages of Maine Residents by Rev. Samuel Perley, 1767 – 1775”, from the New England Historical and Genealogical Society Register, Volume 51, pages 460 – 465   (only the marriages of Maine residents have been extracted)

Online at http://archives.mainegenealogy.net/2011/10/marriages-of-maine-residents-by-rev.html  or try this link from Chris Dunham's blog:  http://nhgenealogy.blogspot.com/2011/10/marriages-by-rev-samuel-perley-1767.html   

The vital records of Seabrook, including marriages, can be found online at FamilySearch.org    If you can’t find your ancestor’s marriage in their hometowns, perhaps you should be looking in the Seabrook records!

Apparently the reputation of Seabrook as the place to run to for a quick wedding lasted until the 20^th century.  The Kingston Daily Freeman from Kingston, New York, Page 3, Saturday 21 May 1938.  Newspapers.com  “This town is winning recognition as New England’s Gretna Green, according to marriage license statistics recently announced here.  Last year 658 licenses were issued to couples from all over the New England states, with the largest number from Massachusetts.  All but 13 of the couples were married here.  August had 90 marriages, while February with 14 saw the fewest nuptials.  New Hampshire’s new blood-test law, which becomes effective October 1, is expected to reduce the number.”   These are impressive statistics for a small town, which had only about 1,700 people in 1930. [US Census https://www.nh.gov/oep/data-center/documents/1930-historic.pdf ]

  

Seabrook elopements are often referred to in genealogies, such as this one mentioned on RootsWeb [update April 1, 2021 - this website is no longer available]  

http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/GenMassachusetts/1999-02/0919303857

“Alta May Eaton b. 10/5/1886, Warren, MA m. Edward Locke Bennett, 8/31/1909, Seabrook, NH, eloped”.   Check your oral family history, too.  Just like my auntie’s claim, any family disapproval might have sent your ancestors to elope to Seabrook, or to any other destination with a reputation for quick weddings. There are probably equivalent towns to Seabrook or Gretna Green in any region of the United States, or in other countries.  

Or in this interesting story:

The Portsmouth Herald, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 21 September 1939, page 8, newspapers.com

“Arrested on Way to Seabrook to Elope,  Salem, Sept. 21 – Under questioning of State Trooper Roland Savage, who arrested Frederic C. Webber of Cambridge for driving under the influence of liquor and drunkenness, the defendant in District Court Wednesday testified he was employed by the Boston Red Sox.  Judge Sears asked “Do you play first base, or sell peanuts?”  Webber said the outfield or he was a batting practice pitcher and was on the way to Seabrook N. H. to elope with Marguerite McHugh of Watertown when arrested.  He was fined $50 for driving under the influence.”

Portsmouth Herald,  Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Saturday, 18 January 1936, page 1.  Newspaperarchive.com

“HOLDING MAN ON SERIOUS CHARGE,  Topsfield, An elopement that wasn’t quite an elopement landed Percy Durkee, 27 of Nichols Street, Danvers, in the toils of the law on serious charges and the police are seeking an 18 year old girl as a stubborn child.  Durkee told the State Police that he took the girl to Seabrook N. H. last September to be married but they were refused because they did not have a license.  Later they returned to his home and stayed there for several days before going to Hartford, Conn. where they sought employment.  In October the girl got a job and Durkee returned to his home.  Police are puzzled by the fact that Durkee reported the girl as missing to the local police just about the same time that he took her to New Hampshire to be married.  It was not until last night that he went to the State police to report that she was missing.  He was then accompanied by his parents and those of the girl.  Durkee told the police that he has visited the girl at Hartford since he left her there to come home last October.  Meanwhile Durkee was arraigned in Salem Court on serious charges (Associated Press).”

Not all elopements caused short relationships.  Look at what I found in this obituary:

http://www.hallfuneralhomes.com/book-of-memories/2065126/Priestley-Eleanor/obituary.php?Printable=true   Obituary for Eleanor Priestley, Hall’s Funeral Home, Thomaston, Maine.  "Eleanor “eloped” with Harland “Rocky” Priestley Jr. on October 14^th, 1944 in Seabrook, N.H.  They later had an official wedding at the Congregational church in Stoneham, Mass.  They also renewed their vows at the First Baptist church in St. George on their 50^th wedding anniversary.”

Have you found any elopements or “quick weddings” in your family tree?

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To Cite/Link to this post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "New England’s “Gretna Green” – Why so many out of state marriages in Seabrook, New Hampshire?", Nutfield Genealogy, posted April 2, 2015, ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/04/new-englands-gretna-green-why-so-many.html: accessed [access date]). 
Copyright © 2015, Heather Wilkinson Rojo

A New Hampshire Man Imprisoned in the Tower of London, 1683, Facing Execution for Treason!

The GOVE memorial
at Hampton, New Hampshire's Founder's Park

Almost a century before the American colonies rose up in resistance against Mother England during the Revolutionary War, a New Hampshire man rose up against the crown.  Edward Gove (about 1635 – 1691) was a large land holder in Hampton, New Hampshire. He was made a member of the assembly in 1680, and became the leader of a group opposed to the Royal Governor Edward Cranfield.

Edward Cranfield had been appointed Governor in 1682 by the king, and came to New Hampshire with the plan of transforming the colony into plantations for the gentry. He attempted to nullify many land deeds existing in New Hampshire for his plan.  He also dissolved the Council, which was a very unpopular move.  Edward Gove and a group of other men opposed the new Governor.

Gove and eleven others (Jonathan Thing, Nathaniel Ladd, Joseph Hadley, Robert Wadley, Thomas Rawlins/Rollins, Mark Baker, John Sleeper, John Gove (Edward’s son), and others)  were arrested and brought before the court in Portsmouth on 1 February 1682/3.   The entire group was found guilty of treason, but only Edward Gove was sentenced to death by Judge Richard Waldron.  This was the charge:

“You, Edward Gove shall be drawn on a hedge to the place of execution, and there you shall be hanged by ye neck, and when yet living be cut down and cast on the ground, and your bowels shall be taken out of your belly, and your privy members cut off and burnt while you are yet alive, your head shall be cut off and your body divided into four parts, and your head and quarters shall be placed where our Sovereign Lord the King pleaseth to appoint.  And the Lord have mercy on your soul”

His desperate wife presented this petition:

“The wretchd & Deplorable Condition of her selfe and family, but chiefely her husband, who by means of a distemper of Lunacy or some such like, which he have benn Subject unto (by times) from his youth, and yet is untill now (as his mother was before him) (though at some times seemingly very Rationall) which have occationed him Irationally and evily to demeane himselfe (by means of some unhappy provocation) to such actions whereby he have incured unto himselfe the Sentence of Death; past upon him by yor Maties Court in the same Province, with Loss of all his Estate; and is now sent over into England to attend yor Maties further pleasure therein, on whose Royall favour only now depends all possibility of Releise. And for as much as he never had the least expression of disloyalty or Disafection to yor Maties person, Crown & Dignety or Interest neither then, nor at any other time that wee know of nor nothing tending that way (when Rationall) but the Contrary, as he would have pleaded at his tryall had be been himselfe and doubt not but he would upon tht accompt now begg for his own life either to the Honorable Govt here or of yor Royall Majties there, but he being not capable of so doeing.
Your most deploreable Supplicant Doe in most Humble wise Pray your Sacred Majties favourable admitance of her humble Request for the life of her said Husband (by your Majties Gratious pardon) or what way soever it shall seem good to yor Majties, yor poore petitioner haveing no knowlidge of Law, of the privilidges that a Subject may plead, and yor Majties poore Petitioner, and all her Distressed family, Shall as in duty they are bound ever pray for yor Majties long life and Happy Reigne.
HANNAH GOVE”

No New Hampshire authorities wanted to carry out the sentence, and Mrs. Gove’s petition was ignored (yet survived for us to find in the records!).   On 2 April 1683 he was put on the ship Richard to England and sent to prison in the Tower of London, where it was assumed his sentence would be carried out by the royal executioners.  During his time in prison, King Charles II died and King James II ascended the throne.  Gove successfully petitioned the new king to pardon him on 26 August 1685, but he was not released.  On 12 April 1686 the king sent a letter to the President and Council of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, stating that Gove had been pardoned. 

In the meantime, the unpopular Royal Governor Cranfield tried to continue his plans in New Hampshire.  The sentence Gove had received did not push the people into submission, but made them more rebellious.  The new King removed Cranfield, and he was escorted to the Massachusetts border with a rope around his neck.   England sent him to Barbados to serve as a customs official.

Gove returned to Hampton, New Hampshire, where he died in 1691.  Most of his land was returned to him, which he left to his sons in his will.

Edward Gove is buried at the Pine Grove Cemetery in Hampton.   He holds the distinction of being the only New England colonist convicted of treason and sentenced to be drawn and quartered.  This incident is known in New Hampshire history as “Gove’s Rebellion”. 

For the truly curious:

History of Hampton, by Joseph Dow, 1893 (available online at Google Books and at the Hampton, NH Lane Library website http://www.hampton.lib.nh.us/hampton/history/dow/index.htm )

“Hampton’s Gove – Ahead of his Time”, by Doug Gove, Rockingham County Newspaper, July 8, 1988, transcribed for the Hampton, NH Lane Library website 

http://www.hampton.lib.nh.us/hampton/history/hampton350th/page_19.htm

Biography of Edward Gove, an excerpt from The History and Genealogy the American Family of Gove, By William Henry Gove, 1922 transcribed for the Hampton, NH Lane Library website http://www.hampton.lib.nh.us/hampton/biog/gove.htm

For more information about Royal Governor Edward Cranfield, see The History of New Hampshire by Jeremy Belkap, 1813, Volume II, page 369 (available online at Google Books)

The magistrate Richard Waldron was a notoriously cruel man in New Hampshire history.  Click this link to see a blog post about another sentence he issued against the Quakers, and how he died at the hands of the Native people he had abused during his time in office:

http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2012/02/how-women-went-from-dover.html

A few years ago I helped my Godfather with his Gove lineage.  His mother was a Gove.  We had a lot of fun tracing this line, and looking for a reprint or original copy of the Gove compiled genealogy listed above.  I previously blogged about his Gove family in Nahant, Massachusetts at this link:  http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2011/10/tombstone-tuesday-greenlawn-cemetery.html

Here is his descent from Edward Gove:

Generation 1:  Edward Gove, born about 1635 in England, died 29 May 1691 in Hampton; married about 1660 to Hannah Partridge, daughter of William Partridge and Ann Spicer.  She was born about 1638.

Generation 2: Ebenezer Gove, born 23 June 1671 in Hampton, died 16 April 1758 in Hampton; married on 20 December 1692 in Hampton to Judith Sanborn, daughter of John Sanborn and Judith Coffin.  She was born 8 August 1675 and died about 1760.

Generation 3: Edward Gove, born 29 May 1696 in Hampton Falls, died 10 July 1765 in Hampton; married on 18 June 1728 to Mary Moulton, daughter of Daniel Moulton and Mary Unknown.  She was born 16 December 1706 and died 20 October 1793 in Hampton Falls.

Generation 4: Winthrop Gove, born 3 November 1732 in Hampton, died 3 June 1808 in Hampton; married 3 June 1754 to Elizabeth Ring, daughter of Jonathan Ring and Esther Batchelder.

Generation 5: Levi Gove, born 29 June 1759 in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire, died in Seabrook, New Hampshire; married Mary Chase, daughter of Charles Chase and Mary Griffith.  She was born 19 April 1760 in Hampton, died 19 September 1852 in Seabrook. 

Generation 6:  William Gove, born 15 February 1794 in Seabrook, New Hampshire, died 1834 in Seabrook; married in 1815 to Elizabeth Chase, daughter of Aquila Chase and Anna Moulton.  She was born 28 November 1796 in Seabrook, and died 1882 in Lynn, Massachusetts.

Generation 7: Worthen Augustus Gove, born 12 July 1819 in Seabrook, died 28 March 1885 in Nahant, Massachusetts; married on 15 January 1836 in Lynn to Emeline A. Spencer, daughter of William Spencer and Mary Gale Homan.  She was born 12 April 1819 in Beverly, Massachusetts, died 9 February 1897 in Dorchester, Massachusetts.

Generation 8: Charles Edward Gove, born 23 July 1839 in Lynn, died 26 January 1920 in Nahant; married Elvira E. Whitney, daughter of Charles Whitney and Adeline Strong.  She was born 26 November 1833 in Dublin, New Hampshire and died 15 April 1901 in Nahant.

Generation 9: George Alvah Gove, born 17 September 1870 in Nahant, died 1945 in Beverly, Massachusetts; married on 16 April 1894 to Frances L. Harris, sister to the wife of George’s brother Charles.  She was born 12 April 1873 in New London, Connecticut, died 1962 in Beverly, Massachusetts.

Generation 10: Grace Mildred Gove, born 18 October 1897 in Nahant, died 18 March 1834 in Beverly; married Erwin McKenney as his first wife.

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To cite/link to this blog post:  Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "A New Hampshire Man Imprisoned in the Tower of London, 1683, Facing Execution for Treason!", Nutfield Genealogy, posted February 10, 2014, ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2014/02/a-new-hampshire-man-imprisoned-in-tower.html: accessed [access date]).